Dallas Stars Blog

Stars’ Jamie Benn knows switch to center still a work in progress

DETROIT – Jamie Benn was presented with the challenge of playing center for the first time in his career a few years back, and he said he still has some things to learn.

“Faceoffs,” he said. “Faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs.”

Benn grew up as a big scoring winger and found his success in that role in both Kelowna in junior hockey and during an AHL playoff run with the Texas Stars. But Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk saw a center in Benn, and he has been playing the position since.

Still, Benn said mastering the intricacies of the position is a work in progress.

“It’s an art, and I’m still working on it,” Benn said. “There’s just so much that goes into it, and I have a lot to learn.”

Benn won 12-of-22 faceoffs (55 percent) his first game back against Columbus, and was less successful against a very good faceoff team in Detroit on Tuesday. However, Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said he has faith in Benn’s ability to get better with experience.

“He’s a smart player,” Gulutzan said. “Everything he puts his mind to doing, he can pretty much do. So he’s been working on faceoffs and he’s been getting better, but we know he can do even more. It just takes experience.”